Eotjntain brush or dauber



Aug, 25, 1925.

C. A. WETZELL FOUNTAIN BRUSH 0R DAUB'G Filed June 26, 1922 xiv/a f /523M Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

CLARENCE A. WETZELL, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS.

FOUNTAIN BRUSH OR DAUBER.

Application filed June 26, 1922. Serial No. 570,953.

To all whom it may concern} Be it known that I, CLARENCE A. VVETZELL, acitizen of the United States, and resident of Sterling, lVhitesideCounty, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inFountain Brushes or Daubers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fountain brushes in general, but moreparticularly to shoe brushes, and especially those in which someprovision is made for feeding the shoe paste or other substance from acollapsible tube.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel andimproved'fountain brush or dauber or other similar device of theforegoing general character.

Special objects are to provide improved means for connecting thecollapsible tube which contains the paste or other substance with thefeed tube by which the substance is fed to the brush or dauber; toprovide an improved construction arrangement for so combining thecollapsible tube with the handle of the brush that the said tube isflush with the top of the handle and is practically concealed therein,said handle being the back of the brush; to provide an improvedconstruction and arrangement whereby the metal plate which holds thetube coupling in place serves also as a guide for ascraper' which can beprojected into position to clean the shoes; and to provide certaindetails and features of construction tending to increase the generalefficiency and the desirability of a fountain brushor dauber of thisparticular character. i

To these and other useful ends theinvention consists in mattershereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawingsin which Figure 1 is a plan or top view of a fountain shoe brushembodying the principles of the invention, showing a portion of thebackor handle in section to show the construction.

22 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse section on line 33 in Figure 2. 7

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a block of wood 1 which isbevelled at 2 at one end to receive the bristles 3 of the shoe dauber.The top or back of said block is provided with a longitudinal groove orchannel i, which latter is widened at 5 to receive the spread at the endof the collapsible tube 6 which contains the paste or other substance.It will be seen that the groove or channel 1 is deep enough to bring thetop of the tube flush with the handle or back of the wood forming theback of the brush 7 for polishing the shoes. The sheet metal plate 8 issecured fiatwise in place, as by screws or tacks 9, upon the top of theblock 1, and has a vertical end portion 10 which is turned up at itslower end to form a transverse channel 11 at the bottom of the groove apreviously mentioned. This vertical portion 10 is also provided with acentral opening 12 to receive the cylindrical hub por tion 13 of therotary thumb-piece or wheel 14 which is held in the slot 15 in the topof the plate 8, and also in the channel 11, whereby a rotary couplingwhich is held against axial displacement is provided. Thus thethumb-piece 14 forms a means at the top of the body to operate thecoupling while the tube 6 remains stationary. It will be seen that thecentral opening in the hub 12 and the thumb-piece let is screwthreadedfor a distance to receive the threaded neck 16 of the collapsible tube6, and a feed tube 17 has a swivel connection with said thumbpiece 14 atthe other side thereof, whereb rotation of this thumb-piece will drawthe threaded neck tightly into place against the tube 17, thus forming atight joint. The feed tube 17 it will be seen, is deflected downwardcentrally in the dauber 3, and a closure 18 is provided with a plug 19for insertion in the tube 17 to prevent the paste or other substancefrom escaping when the device is not in use. The flange of the 010- sure18, it will be seen, serves to prevent the fingers fromcoming in contactwith the dauber, when the knob is gripped to remove or replace the plug.It will be seen that the plate 8 has a raised portion forming a guidefor the metal scraper 20, which latter has a headed pin 21 which slidesin the slot 22,

whereby the scraper 20 can be projected (as Figure 2 is a longitudinalsection on line shown in dotted lines) for use in scraping the mud offfrom the edges of the shoes.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the tube of paste 6, or othersubstance, depending upon the eXact use or purpose contemplated for thebrush or dauber, can he slipped in endwise into the groove or channel 4,until the neck 16 engages the hub 18 of the coupling, and by thenrubbing the thumb over the top of the thumb-piece let, in a manner thatwill be readily understood, this coupling can be rotated to tightly drawthe neck 16 into engagement with the feed tube 17, as previouslyexplained, and by then withdrawing the plug 19 the brush or dauber is incondition for use. Pressure of the thumb on the rear end of the tube 6will force the paste or other substance through the tube 17 and into thebrush or dauber 3, and the latter can then be rubbed over the shoes, inthe usual way, and afterwards the brush 7 can be ,used to shine orpolish the shoes. No twisting of the tube 6 is necessary, inasmuch asthe rotary coupling formed by the thumb-piece and its hub 13 serves thispurpose very easily and very conveniently, and in this connection itwill be seen that the plate 8 has the double function of not onlyholding the swivel coupling in place, but also of forming a guide forthe extensible scraper 20 previously mentioned.

While it is stated that the block 1 is of wood, it will be understoodthat any suitable material can be used for this purpose, and by wood ismeant material which can be cut and worked and used like wood or anyother fibrous or similar material. The invention is not limited to theexact construction shown and described.

Thus the plate 8 and the rotary coupling and the scraper 20 form aunitary organization, said plate having the double function ofsupporting both the coupling and the scraper. The beveled portion of thebody for the dauber 3 is below the plate 8, and in such relation to thebrush 7 that either the dauber or the brush can be used by one and thesame handle, this handle or back 1 being common to all the otherelements supported thereon. The widened portion 5 of the groove 4provides a thumb place where the thumb can be placed on the end of thecollapsible tube 6 to hold it in position while the coupling is beingrotated to fasten the tube in place, or for the removal of thecollapsible tube. The flange 4 of the coupling, which extends throughthe slot 15, serves as a means rigid with the coupling for the rotationthereof.

Thus the collapsible tube 6 is coupled to a fixed portion of the device,such as the fixed tube 17, by an intermediate movable part, whichintermediate movable part is preferably a screw coupling, but may be ofany suitable character.

As a feature of new organization and a'r rangement, the plate 8 servesas a. guide for the scraper and as a bearing for the coupling, so thatit has the double function of forming both the guide for the scraper anda bearing for the screw coupling by which the tube of paste or othermaterial or substance is held in place. As another novel feature oforganization and arrangement the block 1 forms a back for the brush 7,and has the double function of serving as a handle for both said brushand the dauber 3, the said back or handle being common to said brush andda-uber. Moreover, as the tube 17 is fixed in relation to the block 1,and is not movable to out off the supply of paste or other material, andinasmuch as the screw threaded coupling and other elements are incapableof cutting off the supply of paste, the plug 19 is a useful or desirableelement of the general combination and organization, and is insertedthrough the danber and into the end of the tube to prevent escape of thepaste or other substance therefrom.

From the foregoing, therefore, it will be seen that the dauber 3 and thescraper 20 are each operable by one and the same handle formed by thebody 1 of the device or fountain brush as a whole. The plate 8 isessential to the application of the shoe polish by the dauber 3, and isessential to the use of the scna r 20 on the shoe, and the single handlea orded by the body 1 is thus common to both instnunentalities, and issufficient for either purpose. Thus the scraper and the dauber arecarried by a handle which is common to both of them, and which handle isalso equipped with a. brush 7, so that the three instrumentalities havethe said handle in common. The device, therefore, is a combined shoedauber and scraper. Also the device, of course, is a combined shoedauber and polishing brush. A in, the device as a whole is a combined 50e brush and scraper and polishing brush. In each case the danber ispreferably a fountain dauber.

Without disclaiming anything, and without prejudice to any noveltydisclosed, what I claim as my invention is V 1. In a device of the classdescribed, the combination and organization of a body serving as ahandle and forming the back of the device, having a groove therein, acollapsible tube of material disposed longitudinally in said groove,said ove being of a depth and length to full; rotect said tube, so thatthe handle formed y said body can be grasped without squeezing the tube,a dauber on the under side of said body, a feed tube for said dauber,mounted in fixed position relatively to said body, a rotary screwcoupling for connecting the collapsible tube to said feed tube, operablewhile the collapsible tube is held against rotation in said groove, sothat the collapsible tube and the fixed feed tube are coupled togetherby an intermediate movable part, means fixed in position for supportingsaid coupling against axial dis lacement, forming a bearing for rotationo the coupling therein, and means disposed in position to normallyoperate said coupling, whereby the coupling is rotatable to connect anddisconnect the collapsible tube.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said coupling and means forrotating it comprising an internally threaded hub adapted to receive thethreaded neck of the collapsible tube, having a thumb wheel rigidtherewith, forming said manual means of rotation, and said supportingmeans having a slot to expose said wheel and forming a bearing tosupport said rotary hub and its wheel in position to receive thethreaded neck of the collapsible tube.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said groove being widened at theouter end thereof to receive the gradually increasing spread of saidcollapsible tube, as the rear end of the latter is compressed to squeezeout the paste or other substance, the groove holding the front end ofthe tube against lateral displacement, and said widened portionproviding a place for thumb pressure on the end of the collapsible tubewhile said coupling is being operated by the the other hand.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination and organizationof a. body forming a handle and back for the device, having a groovetherein, a collapsible tube of substance disposed longitudinally in saidgroove, a dauber on the under side of said body, a fixed feed tubeleading to said dauber, a rotatable screw coupling to connect thecollapsible tube to the said feed tube, a supporting means comprising asheet metal plate having a portion forming a bearing for said rotarycoupling and secured on top of said body and having a portion extendinginto said groove to form said bearing, and means to hold the bearing infixed position on said body.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination and organizationof a body forming a handle and back for the device, having a groovetherein, a collapsible tube of substance disposed longitudinally in saidgroove, a dauber on the under side of said body, a fixedtube leading tosaid dauber, held rigid with said body, a rotatable screw couplin toconnect the collapsible tube to the said feed tube, whereby the fixedtube and the collapsible tube are coupled together by an intermediatemovable part, a sheet metal supporting means forming an end wall for oneend of said groove, to support said rotary coupling, forming a swivelhearing to hold the rotary coupling against axial displacement, saidfeed tube being disposed with one end thereof in said coupling, forminganother swivel, and means to hold the bearing in fixed position on saidbody, so that the top of said body is practically fiat and flush allover, said support being formed to expose a portion of said coupling atthe top of said device, thereby to permit manual rotation of thecoupling.

CLARENCE A. WETZELL.

